Tobacco Free Futures welcomes tobacco display ban

Tobacco Free Futures welcomes tobacco display ban

Today (6 April) a new law has come into force making it illegal to display tobacco products in all shops and businesses in England and Wales.

The new law follows on from the tobacco display ban for all large shops which came into force in 2012. The ban has now been extended to all other shops and businesses, making it illegal for any retailer selling to the public to display tobacco products.

Andrea Crossfield, Chief Executive of Tobacco Free Futures who campaigned in the North West for cigarettes to be hidden behind shutters said: “The tobacco industry uses every way it can to promote itself. Following the ad-ban in 2003, we saw large multi-coloured displays pop up in shops and supermarkets. Every time children entered these shops they had to see these bright eye-catching displays which resembled tobacco advertising billboards, all designed to capture attention.

“We know display bans work. One year after the ban for large shops was introduced in 2012, one in four young quitters said it helped them stop smoking, meaning that out-of-sight, out-of-mind really does work with tobacco products and young people. Furthermore, contrary to tobacco industry scaremongering, we also saw high compliance and relatively little confusion.

“Today is a very positive step to protect children and young people from the harms of tobacco. This new law will help to prevent some of the 18,000 children we see starting to smoke every year in the North West and will help protect future generations from being targeted by tobacco industry marketing.”